Lantana plant named ‘Robpatgra’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lantana  plant named ‘Robpatgra’, characterized by its upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form; freely branching habit; long internodes; open plant habit; freely and continuously flowering habit; flowers that are light purple in color; and purple-colored fruits.

Botanical designation: Lantana camara.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Robpatgra’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant, botanically known as Lantana camara, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Robpatgra.

The new Lantana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grain Valley, Mo. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-flowering Lantanas with attractive flower coloration.

The new Lantana originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in August, 2001 of a proprietary Lantana seedling selection identified as code number 00TF-3, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Lantana seedling selection identified as code number 00TF-2, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lantana was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Grain Valley, Mo., on the basis of its attractive flower and seed coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Grain Valley, Mo., since September, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Lantana are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Robpatgra have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and culture such as temperature and light intensity, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Robpatgra’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Robpatgra’ as a new and distinct Lantana cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit;         uniformly mounded plant form.     -   2. Freely branching habit and long internodes, open habit.     -   3. Freely and continuously flowering habit.     -   4. Flowers that are light purple in color.     -   5. Purple-colored fruits.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the parents. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grain Valley, Mo., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana produced more fruits per plants         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Fruits of plants of the new Lantana were larger than fruits         of plants of the female parent selection.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grain Valley, Mo., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana were smaller than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Lantana had shorter internodes than plants         of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Lantana can also be compared to plants of the Lantana cultivar Lavender Popcorn, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grain Valley, Mo., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of the cultivar Lavender Popcorn in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana produced more fruits per plants         than plants of the cultivar Lavender Popcorn.     -   2. Fruits of plants of the new Lantana were larger than fruits         of plants of the cultivar Lavender Popcorn.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lantana. Plants used for the photographs were grown in an outdoor nursery in Grain Valley, Mo. for about three months.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Robpatgra’ grown in the landscape for about three months.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences, fruits and leaves of ‘Robpatgra’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the description were planted in containers after rooting and grown for about 3 months during the spring in an outdoor nursery in Tolar, Tex. During the production of the plants in the greenhouse, temperatures ranged from about 18° C. to about 35° C.

-   Botanical classification: Lantana camara cultivar Robpatgra. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Lantana camara seedling             selection identified as code number 00TF-3 not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Lantana camara seedling             selection identified as code number 00TF-2, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at 27° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 15 days at 27° C.         -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 28 days at 24° C.         -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 38 days at 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; initially glaucous white in             color then becoming closer to 161D with development.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Flowering subshrub; upright and somewhat outwardly             spreading plant habit; uniformly mounded plant form; open             growth habit. Freely branching; two lateral branches             potentially forming at every node; pinching enhances lateral             branch development.         -   Plant height.—About 33 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 45 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 31 cm. Diameter: About             3.5 mm. Internode length: About 4.1 cm. Strength: Strong,             but flexible. Texture: Rough, pubescent. Color: Young: Close             to 144A. Woody: Close to 199A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:             About 11.6 cm. Width: About 4.8 cm. Shape: Narrowly ovate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrate to crenate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Leathery, rough, coarse;             pubescent. Luster: Upper surface: Slightly glossy. Lower             surface: Dull. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close             to 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to             146A. Venation, lower surface: Close to 147D. Petiole             length: About 7.5 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Petiole texture, both surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Petiole             color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Petiole color, lower             surface: Close to 147D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Small salverform flowers arranged in             axillary umbels; flowers face mostly upward or outward.             Flowers self-cleaning. Very freely flowering with             potentially two inflorescences per node; typically about 24             flowers per umbel.         -   Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn;             flowering continuous and consistent.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.75 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,             four-parted; flowers roughly rectangular in shape. Diameter:             About 9 mm by 7 mm. Corolla tube length: About 9 mm.         -   Flower buds (before showing color).—Length: About 8 mm.             Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Roughly ovoid. Color: Close to             144A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of four             petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:             Upper and lower petals: About 4.5 mm. Lateral petals: About             3 mm. Petal width: Upper and lower petals: About 3.5 mm.             Lateral petals: About 2 mm. Petal shape: Spatulate to             somewhat orbicular. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin:             Entire. Petal lobe texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, velvety. Corolla throat and tube texture: Pubescent.             Color: Petal lobes, when opening and fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 75A to 77C; towards the throat, close to             155D. Petal lobes, when opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 77D. Throat: Close to 12A. Tube: Close to             77D.         -   Calyx.—Quantity: One sepal per flower. Length: About 6 mm.             Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Truncate. Texture, upper and lower surface: Pubescent.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5.6 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Angle: About 45° from the stem. Strength: Flexible, but             strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Not observed, flowers not stalked.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower, adnate to floral tube. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther             length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 9A. Pollen             amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower.             Pistil length: About 1.25 mm. Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma             color: Close to 144A. Ovary color: Close to 144A.         -   Fruit.—Quantity: One per flower. Shape: Spherical. Diameter:             About 5 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 77B. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lantana grown in the     garden have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests     common to Lantana. -   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to     be very tolerant to rain and wind. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from 0° C. to 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant named ‘Robpatgra’, as illustrated and described. 